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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26965465">Another Restless Night</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfromrae/pseuds/storiesfromrae'>storiesfromrae</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Love Letters, Zutara</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:08:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,029</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26965465</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfromrae/pseuds/storiesfromrae</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He often stayed in his room alone. He often thought of what could have been, but hadn’t. He often recalled every single moment that they shared together.  He often thought of her. </p>
<p>Zuko writes a letter to Katara, the person he truly misses.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katara/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Zutara Quote Challenge 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Another Restless Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This short one-shot is somewhat inspired by “The Notebook”, in the single aspect that Zuko and Katara had spent a great summer together before being separated. </p>
<p>Also, because this is a whole made up story, and there are no rules, let’s just pretend that Zuko hasn’t yet been crowned fire lord, even though its been a couple of months since 'the big fight'.</p>
<hr/>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko laid on his back, his muscles slightly relaxing as they met with the soft silk sheets on the bed. <i>Katara used to sleep here with me. </i>He let out a groan, a result of frustration and sadness. He missed her. He couldn’t stop thinking about Katara, and too frequently, he dreamt of her. </p>
<p>Zuko rolled over on his side, staring off into the darkness as he tried not to fall asleep. He knew that if he were to give in to the exhaustion that was affecting his mentality, he would see her. He wanted to see her, but not in a dream. He sighed and pondered for a moment, contemplating what had happened, where they went wrong, and how different things should have gone. But there was nothing, once again. Zuko was unable to recall the exact moments that led to where he and Katara were today. He didn’t understand.</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p> * * * </p>
</div><p><i>Zuko! I missed you so much. I love you.</i> That was Katara’s voice. She was there. </p>
<p>Zuko shot up, frantically breathing, and slightly out of breath. He looked over and groaned as reality struck him. <i>It was just a dream</i>, he reassured himself. Katara still wasn’t here. He looked over at his phone to check the time. 2:34 AM. He sighed, acutely aware of the fact that his sleeping had been getting progressively worse ever since Katara left. </p>
<p>He hated to admit that he had trouble sleeping without her. But it was true. The bed was so cold and so empty. The room always felt so large and terrifying at night. </p>
<p>He missed when they would stay up late, cuddled on their bed watching old martial arts action movies. Or when they used to bake brownies at weird hours of the night. Katara would always burn them. But he loved that. And he loved her.</p>
<p>It had been over a year since they had last watched movies or baked together.</p>
<p>Zuko got up from his bed and drowsily stumbled to his desk. He had to try one more time. Just once more. He had to write Katara again. </p>
<p>He didn’t know if the address was even correct. He had already sent at least two unique handwritten letters to at least 30 different locations. He had no idea where Katara was- perhaps still somewhere in The Southern Water Tribe. <i>Ah yes, the water tribe that had grown so much and had immensely expanded its territory not too long after Sozin’s Comet</i>, he thought. <i>Great</i>.</p>
<p>Zuko lifted his hands to his face, quickly wiping away the sleep from his eyes and ridding himself of any doubt in regards to where his letter might end up. He picked up his quill pen and began: </p>
<p></p><div><p><i>To Katara- the love of my life. </i></p>
<p>
  <i>It’s been way more than a year and I still haven’t heard a single thing from you. I don’t even know if you’ve been getting my letters and I’m starting to feel like you haven’t been. But whatever the case, I hope you’re okay. I just want to make sure you know that if I knew where you were, I would come in an instant. I would travel to meet you. I would walk through hell and back just to be with you Katara. I just want to see you, more than anything in the world. The year we spent together after Sozin’s Comet had been so … amazing. After you helped me, I felt as if I owed my life to you, and I do, I really do. I didn’t realize it at first, but every moment we shared after that big day really opened my eyes. I love you and I don’t think I could’ve gotten through it without you by my side. You make me a better person.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>I remember the day when we all went to the Fire Festival together. You looked so attentively at all of the fireworks and lanterns, but I could only focus on you. It’s always been you.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Our year together felt short-lived once you were called back to the Southern Water Tribe, if that’s even where you are right now. I’m sure Sokka and your dad could’ve handled it just fine, but I knew you had to go. That's who you are- a strong fighter with a huge heart. I still wish you didn’t have to go, though. It’s selfish, I know, but I miss you, and right now I feel lost and broken without you. We had a good thing, we worked well together, and we were good for each other. My uncle always told me a story. He said that “usually, when something breaks, if the pieces are large enough, you can fix it. Unfortunately, sometimes things don’t break, they shatter. But, when you let the light in, shattered glass will glitter”. That’s us Katara. In moments like those, moments when the pieces of what we were catch the sun, I always remember just how beautiful you are, how beautiful it was, and just how beautiful it will always be, because it was us. And we were magic. I say this with the utmost confidence Katara. I love you and I know- with all of my heart- that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I can’t picture it any other way. Please write back.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Yours Forever,<br/>
Zuko &lt;3</i></p>
<p></p><div><p>Tears splattered the paper as he finished his letter, folding it neatly and sealing it with a traditional Fire Nation wax. <i>Hopefully this time she’d read the note</i>, he thought. </p>
<p>Zuko wearily walked to the kitchen and made himself a warm cup of tea. He flopped onto this sofa, careful not to spill the freshly heated drink onto his lap. His body sank into the soft cushions and he took a long sip, closing his eyes as the warmth of the hot liquid soothed the lump that had formed in his throat.</p>
<p>This was just another restless night for Zuko. Another restless night of not knowing whether Katara was alive or not. Another restless night where he prayed to the spirits that the love of his life would finally receive his letter and come back home.</p></div></div>
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